POTTSTOWN — From the moment Hunter Knighton stepped onto the field for his first football practice, it was clear he had the right stuff for the game.

Always tall and muscular, even at the very young age of 9, Knighton had the right build and knack for it.

That flair for the game eventually paved the way from playing football at Owen J. Roberts Middle School to The Hill School, then to The Hun School ... and now to the high-profile and prestigious University of Miami for the strapping 6-foot-5, 265-pound two-way lineman.

Knighton enrolled early at Miami, where he’s been there since December, and feels right at home. Then again, Knighton felt right at home from the first time he visited and called Miami head football coach Al Golden the next day to tell him he was accepting Golden’s offer to join the Hurricanes, then wasted no time getting there.

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“I’m already enrolled for the spring semester,” Knighton said when reached by phone in Miami.

“I took an official visit in December. At the time I really had no clue where I wanted to go. The thing that attracted me initially to Miami was the name, the kind of history they have down here, and the great things they have accomplished. Then getting down here, it’s completely different from what I thought it was going to be like. Getting around the team, meeting the current players. I just felt like it was the right place for me. I left there on Sunday and Monday night I called coach Golden to tell him.”

That was December 12th. Soon after, Knighton took up residency at Miami.

“I repeated my junior year at Hun School and I had an extra semester, so I had enough high school credits. After I committed to Miami we talked about leaving early. I decided it was best for me to move on and start the next step.”

And going early was the right thing to do.

“It definitely was,” Knighton said. “Getting in the weight room, meeting the guys, being there for spring football practices. It’s definitely a huge advantage.”

He plans to major economics, but hasn’t quite decided yet.

Knighton is sure about one thing — Miami was the right choice. And feeling comfortable around a high profile coach such as Golden was easy.

“Obviously, you’re used to seeing him on TV, so it’s kind of weird to suddenly be having conversations with him,” Knighton said. “And then you get used to it and you build a relationship and getting real close to the coach throughout the whole process.”

Knighton’s top five had been Miami, Boise State, West Virginia, Boston College and Purdue. That’s for universities. Knighton had also spent some time at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis duyring the spring of his junior year.

“And I loved it there,” he said.

“At the end, if I really didn’t like Miami, I was thinking about taking another visit to Annapolis. But after my Miami visit I decided this is the place for me. Now that I’m here, it’s just really a great place to be.”

It’s all a dream come true for the Pottstown native.

“Ever since I started playing football, my dream was to play at high level, and accomplishing that was very much a probability for me,” he said.

Knighton’s size sure seems to help.

“That’s always helpful, but in the end it comes down to ability,” he said. “You’d be shocked how many big kids there are who don’t ever make it. But, I’m definitely blessed with having good (size).”

He started out in youth football with the Norchester Red Knights, but soon moved on to the CYO league and played for St. Joe’s Downingtown team because Norchester and the Pottstown PAL teams are all put together according to age. And Knighton towered way over them back then.

When he started playing in Owen J. Roberts Middle School, a number of private high schools started recruiting him. His older brother, Jay Knighton — now playing for Holy Cross — was a also an excellent two-way defensive lineman and went on to play for The Hill School. Hunter followed him there. But after completing his junior year at Hill, he wanted to map out his own path, and eventually moved on to Hun, playing both sides of the line.

Ironically, Hunter Knighton first was doing his part to help Hill win a Mid-Atlantic Prep League championship, then this past year helped Hun win the MAPL. It is something he treasures. But now it’s on to new accomplishments.

“First and foremost we want to restore the program back to what it was this year,” Knighton said. “That’s my goal. That’s everybody’s goal here. We want to bring it back to the top. And any way I can help do that in my next four years here, that’s my focus.”

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About the Author

Rosemarie Ross is a veteran sports reporter for The Mercury. A native of Germany, she began her career with the former United Press International pioneering the role of women in sports reporting. She was worked in Trenton, Phladelphia and Patterson, N.J. and has covered pro sports and boxing. She is a member of the National Hall of Fame for her boxing coverage. She covers high school sports -- and loves it. Reach the author at rross@pottsmerc.com
or follow Rosemarie on Twitter: @RoseRoss31.